The search for missing skier Carson May resumed this morning (Jan. 17) at dawn following a sighting of tracks leading into a recent snow-slide area near Sugar Bowl ski resort. A group of searchers returned to the spot this morning.
May, who is from Davis, Calif., was last seen Thursday wearing a blue Columbia jacket, bright green ski pants and a blue helmet. The rescue crews have been focused on searching the backside of Sugar Bowl, where the 23-year-old instructor with Sugar Bowl’s Mountain Sports Learning Center ski school was last seen Thursday afternoon when he was off-duty and skiing at the resort.
According to Lt. Troy Sander of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, approximately 40 searchers went out this morning, concentrating the search on an area of a recent large slide. Sander said another skier had reported seeing tracks leading into that avalanche area, which is in an out-of-bounds section near the resort.
The out-of-bounds section also is where authorities heard pings Saturday from May’s cell phone, Searchers believe that May’s phone battery has died.
Placer County officials have asked for another 30 searchers from nearby counties, and two helicopters are on standby for possible use later today.
An estimated 4 feet of powder has fallen at Sugar Bowl since May was reported missing Thursday afternoon, and the area currently is seeing mixed precipitation. The difficult conditions have searchers proceeding cautiously because there is an extremely high risk (of avalanches) in that area.
Sander said that May typically would ski slightly out of bounds through a tree line, and then come back inbounds and make his way down to the lodge.
May reportedly graduated in 2011 from the Da Vinci Charter Academy in Davis. May and his brother Wyndham joined the Davis High School ski team, which took a division title in 2009. Carson moved from Davis to Truckee, and reportedly had very good knowledge of the area he was skiing.
“There were white out conditions on the top summit so he could have gotten disoriented and went down the wrong run or somewhere on the back side,” said David Hunt with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said today.
Friends reported May as missing at 10 a.m. Friday when they discovered he never came home Thursday evening. His belongings were still in his Sugar Bowl locker Friday morning.
A Sugar Bowl spokesperson said the ski resort has been in communication with May’s family.
Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffweidel and visit his website at www.tahoeskiworld.com.
